The liquid gets heated to around 400 degrees, changing the liquid to a vapour. The vapour then enters a fractional distillation tower. When the vapour reaches a certain temperature, it will return to a liquid – there are plates within the tower to capture the liquid at certain temperatures.When vapour rises, the shorter hydrocarbons will liquefy. Oil will emerge if cooled below 370 degrees.When the vapour reaches between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius, diesel fuel begins to emerge. It is then extracted for use.

Distillation Process

This extracts shorter hydrocarbon chains.The shortest chain will emerge at the top of the tank as a gas.

Another way throught distillation process is to recombine some of these shorter hydrocarbon chain distillates. When put together, the hydrocarbons become diesel fuel – addivties then need to be added to make it ‘safer’.